Villagers stage rally to oust SBSI labor union

Thousands of villagers of the Tanah Grogot, Kuaro and Batu Sopang subdistricts in Pasir regency, East Kalimantan, staged a rally on Thursday to oust the SBSI labor union from the area, the local Kaltim Post daily reported.

The paper said that the villagers demanded the local office of the ministry of labor affairs to cancel SBSI as one of the official union at local coal mining firm PT Kideco Jaya Agung.

"We only have one demand. We want SBSI out of Pasir," said one protesting villager.

SBSI organizes the ongoing labor strike at Kideco to demand a higher salary. The high profile labor union had been involved in massive labor strike in several mining companies in East Kalimantan and in other provinces. Some have accused SBSI as merely a provocateur to create unrest. (*)